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Monday, September 23, 2013

Scott Cook -- One More Time Around

No joke, Scott Cook's One More Time Around brought a few tears to my eye.

We listen to music because it either gives us Feelings or helps us process the Feelings we have. But great musics takes those Feelings and asks us to change our outlook on life completely.

Ladies, and gentlemen, Scott Cook.

Bands like Two Cow Garage resonate with me because their anger and anxiety about the current state of our world help me process my own. It's a self-inflected wound, though. I've said many times to anyone who will listen that if you are a public school teacher who isn't fucking furious, then you're not doing your job right. And perhaps that attitude should extend to, well, everyone.

But what if there's another way to approach this?

The beautiful essay in Cook's liner notes is worth the $20 CAD price of admission alone. Cook's confidence that mass action, spurred by a reflective lifestyle and genuine self-love, is endemic throughout his music. Whether it's a political statement or a simple love song, every single track on One More Time Around is an absolute masterpiece.

In keeping with his philosophy that the world belongs to all of us, Cook has included lyrics and chord progressions for all of the songs on the album. He's also put the songs under a Creative Commons license, so I'm sure he won't mind if I stream a few here. But really, you should him put gas in his tank and buy the album from his site.

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In times of change, we turn to music. There is no denying that this election brought out the cracks in American society. There is no denying that there are entire segments of the population that do not know or understand each other. The best way to do so is by listening to each other. This blog stands against the racism, homophobia, transphobia, nationalism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, ableism, and normalizing of rape culture that was present in American society but is now normalized by Trump's campaign rhetoric. This blog commits to featuring the voices of LGBT and POC artists, even if and when that means straying outside of Americana. We want you to listen to everyone's voices.